2014 Leaders in Health Care Awards: Outstanding Global Health Organization

Winner

Grand Challenges in Global Health
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Even global health leaders get by, as the Beatles once sang, with a little help from their friends.

Of course, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation does more than just get by. Fueled by the wealth of its namesake founders and contributors like Warren Buffett, ambitious initiatives such as combating malaria promise tremendous gains.

But the foundation knows it cannot do everything on its own and its Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative gives others a chance to take part. Projects that address one of 16 key problems in the developing world receive ample funding, now totaling $450 million, to get the job done.

That endeavor has produced a steady stream of worldwide research, such as exploring bacterial spores for delivering nonrefrigerated vaccines, using genetics to slow the spread of dengue fever or finding ways to measure health outcomes in unstable countries like Tanzania.

More recently, the Grand Challenges Explorations initiative offered smaller, $100,000 grants to ideas such as developing an easier-to-use condom, and labor-saving tools for women farmers of small plots.

As Bill Gates himself knew at Microsoft, great things can follow from many well-executed ideas.

Silver Awards

Department of Global Health
University of Washington

Everyone can contribute to solving health care problems, according to the UW Department of Global Health, which brings together talent across many campus disciplines. Science and engineering students are finding ways to harvest fog for clean water in Peru. Computer scientists explore how big data analysis can shed light on worldwide disease. Business students aid efforts at global social entrepreneurship. Only imagination limits what many praise as the most collaborative program in the country.

Disaster Relief
World Vision

World Vision, the Federal Way-based Christian humanitarian organization, has its hands full with disaster relief projects, most recently providing vital support to refugees in the Philippines, South Sudan and Syria. Less visible are its global health efforts, such as malaria treatments in Mali, infant care education in Ethiopia and a health center in Rwanda. These programs inform relief efforts as well by bringing non-emergency medicine and health aid to victims of Typhoon Haiyan and earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti.